Spacing drum and method

ABSTRACT

A spacing drum comprising: a segment receiving drum section capable of receiving a predetermined number of segments per revolution of the drum from a procession of segments approaching the segment receiving drum section at a segment-feed spacing and a segment-feed speed; a segment releasing drum section capable of releasing the predetermined number of segments at a segment-release spacing and a segment-release speed; and a radial profile flight comprising a continuous arc segment extending across at least portions of the segment receiving drum section and the segment releasing drum section. Associated methods are also provided, including method of changing pitch along a spacing drum progressively with a radial profile flight.

FIELD

This invention relates to generally to rod making in the manufacture oftobacco or filter rods and/or tobacco products.

ENVIRONMENT

In certain spacing drums, the pitch the drum where product componentsenter the drum is different than the pitch of the drum where componentsexit the drum, whereby the pitch changes at a discrete transition point.At the discrete transition point (for example, from a higher pitch to aslower pitch), registration issues may occur as a component travelingthrough the drum may lose contact with the drum. For example, in U.S.Pat. No. 3,854,384 to Naylor reference is made to bring a repeatingseries of components “into closely abutting relationship by a helicalclosing-up drum 20 of known type.” Although the patent is withoutfurther written description of the type of drum, in FIG. 4, the patentshows a representation of a drum 20, wherein the flights (or lands) ofthe drum have an abrupt transition in pitch. It has been found that suchabrupt transitions may cause registration issues, because a componenttravelling through the drum guided by a flight of the drum may losecontact with the flight at or about the abrupt transition.

SUMMARY

An aspect of certain embodiments of the present disclosure provides aspacing drum comprising a segment receiving drum section capable ofreceiving a predetermined number of segments per revolution of the drumfrom a procession of segments approaching the segment receiving drumsection at a segment-feed spacing and a segment-feed speed, a segmentreleasing drum section capable of releasing the predetermined number ofsegments at a segment-release spacing and a segment-release speed,wherein the segment-release spacing is different from the segment-feedspacing, the segment-release speed is different from the segment-feedspeed, or both the segment-release spacing is different from thesegment-feed spacing and the segment-release speed is different from thesegment-feed speed and a radial profile flight comprising a continuousarc segment extending across at least portions of the segment receivingdrum section and the segment releasing drum section, the continuous arcsegment arranged to transition a segment of the predetermined number ofsegments from the segment-feed spacing and the segment-feed speed to thesegment-release spacing and the segment-release speed, by pushing thesegment as the segment travels from the segment receiving drum sectionto the segment releasing drum section.

Another aspect of certain embodiments of the present disclosure providesa method of changing pitch along a spacing drum progressively, themethod comprising representing a peripheral surface of a spacing drumwith a planar drum view, the spacing drum and the planar drum viewhaving an entrance edge at which a procession of segments enter thespacing drum at a segment-feed rate and a segment-feed spacing and anexit edge at which the procession of segments leave the spacing drum ata segment-release speed and with a segment-release spacing, definingadjacent the entrance edge a first straight line corresponding to afirst hypothetical flight, the first hypothetical flight defining afirst pitch, defining adjacent the exit edge a second straight linecorresponding to a second hypothetical flight, the second hypotheticalflight defining a second pitch, resolving an arc-center by resolving anangle of intersection between the first straight line and the secondstraight line, bisecting the resolved angle of intersection to project afirst centering line, projecting a second centering line perpendicularto the second straight line from where the second straight lineintersects the exit edge of the drum, whereby the arc center is resolvedby an intersection of the first and second centering lines, projectingan arc across the planar drum view from the resolved arc center whileusing as a radius a distance between the resolved arc center and thelocation where the second straight line intersects the exit edge of thedrum, forming a radial profile flight upon the drum peripheral surfacecorresponding to the arc projected across the planar drum view.

Another aspect of certain embodiments of the present disclosure providesa spacing drum comprising a radial profile flight which changes pitchprogressively and may be constructed in accordance with theaforementioned method.

Still another aspect of certain embodiments of the present disclosureprovides a spacing drum comprising a drum body having asegment-receiving end and a segment-releasing end, a radial profileflight disposed along the drum body, with the radial profile flightbeing defined by a radius and a first offset arc center such thatadjacent the segment-releasing end of the drum, a releasing arcuateportion of the radial profile flight is configured to push a segmentalong a segment path at a desired segment-exit velocity, and wherein theradial profile flight includes a second arcuate portion adjacent thesegment-receiving end of the drum body, the second arcuate portion beingconfigured to push the segment at a segment-receiving velocity differentfrom the segment-exit velocity, with the radial profile flight includingan arcuate intermediate portion extending continuously between first andsecond arcuate portions.

Yet another aspect of certain embodiments of the present disclosureprovides a method of establishing an exit speed and an exit spacingbetween members of a procession of units, comprising establishing aprocession of units moving at an entrance speed and having an entrancespacing between the units, converting the entrance spacing to the exitspacing and/or the entrance speed to the exit speed by passing theprocession of units through a spacing drum while contacting units of theprocession with radial profile flights of the spacing drum, the radialprofile flights being arcuately configured such that continuous contactbetween a radial profile flight of the radial profile flights and arespective unit is generally maintained during the conversion, wherebythe radial profile flights change pitch continuously from an entranceedge of the drum to an exit edge of the drum, and whereby the spacing ischanged from the entrance spacing to the exit spacing and/or the speedis changed from the entrance speed to the exit speed.

Still another aspect of certain embodiments of the present disclosureprovides a spacing drum comprising: a drum body having asegment-receiving end and a segment-releasing end, and a radial profileflight disposed along the drum body, the radial profile flight definedby a radius and a first offset arc center such that adjacent thesegment-releasing end of the drum, a releasing arcuate portion of theradial profile flight is configured to push a segment along a segmentpath at a desired segment-exit speed, the radial profile flightincluding a second arcuate portion adjacent the segment-receiving end ofthe drum body, the second arcuate portion being configured to push thesegment at a segment-receiving speed different from the segment-exitspeed, the radial profile flight including an arcuate intermediateportion extending continuously between first and second arcuateportions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The forms disclosed herein are illustrated by way of example, and not byway of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and inwhich like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1A is cross-section of an example of a rod section that may beproduced using example embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 1B is cross-section of another example of a rod section that may beproduced using example embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 1C is cross-section of still another example of a rod section thatmay be produced using example embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a top view representation of a machine layout comprising aspacing drum in accordance with an example embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a side view representation of the machine layout and spacingdrum of FIG. 2, according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a representation of the spacing drum as viewed in thedirection of arrow IV in FIG. 3, according to an example embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a geometric representation of a method of determining anarc-center and/or a radius for a radial profile flight, in accordancewith an example embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a geometrical representation of the method shown in FIG. 5being applied to create multiple radial profile flights, according to anexample embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a detail view of another example embodiment of the spacingdrum as viewed in the direction of arrow IV in FIG. 3, according to anembodiment;

FIG. 8 is a planar representation of another example embodiment of thespacing drum in FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is an example method of producing articles using exampleembodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 10A is a detail perspective view at a location of a spacing drumand bridge section of a machine layout such as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3,in accordance with an example embodiment; and

FIG. 10B is a top planar view of an example embodiment of a bridge piecesuitable for use in the bridge section shown in FIGS. 10A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Each of the following terms: “includes,” “including,” “has,” “'having,”“comprises,” and “comprising,” and, their linguistic or grammaticalvariants, derivatives, and/or conjugates, as used herein, means“including, but not limited to.”

Throughout the illustrative description, the examples, and the appendedclaims, a numerical value of a parameter, feature, object, or dimension,may be stated or described in terms of a numerical range format. It isto be fully understood that the stated numerical range format isprovided for illustrating implementation of the forms disclosed herein,and is not to be understood or construed as inflexibly limiting thescope of the forms disclosed herein.

Moreover, for stating or describing a numerical range, the phrase “in arange of between about a first numerical value and about a secondnumerical value,” is considered equivalent to, and means the same as,the phrase “in a range of from about a first numerical value to about asecond numerical value,” and, thus, the two equivalently meaning phrasesmay be used interchangeably.

It is to be understood that the various forms disclosed herein are notlimited in their application to the details of the order or sequence,and number, of steps or procedures, and sub-steps or sub-procedures, ofoperation or implementation of forms of the method or to the details oftype, composition, construction, arrangement, order and number of thesystem, system sub-units, devices, assemblies, sub-assemblies,mechanisms, structures, components, elements, and configurations, and,peripheral equipment, utilities, accessories, and materials of forms ofthe system, set forth in the following illustrative description,accompanying drawings, and examples, unless otherwise specificallystated herein. The apparatus, systems and methods disclosed herein canbe practiced or implemented according to various other alternative formsand in various other alternative ways.

It is also to be understood that all technical and scientific words,terms, and/or phrases, used herein throughout the present disclosurehave either the identical or similar meaning as commonly understood byone of ordinary skill in the art, unless otherwise specifically definedor stated herein. Phraseology, terminology, and, notation, employedherein throughout the present disclosure are for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting.

The present disclosure may be used for the manufacture of any type ofrod, such as filter or tobacco rods, and/or any other tobacco products,such as smoking, heat not burn and other articles that generate, heat,smoke, etc.

In the past, spacing drums have been constructed to have compoundflights, which were in effect a set of flights having a first pitch atthe entrance of the spacing drum and a second pitch at the exit of thespacing drum with an abrupt transition therebetween. The abrupttransition may create registration issues, as a segment travelingthrough the drum guided by a flight may lose contact with the flight ator about the abrupt transition, and/or may move on its own inertia. Suchuncontrolled motion may frustrate consistent positioning of the segmentas it exits the drum.

Example embodiments disclosed herein provide, amongst various aspects, aspacing drum comprising radial profile flights in accordance with theteachings which follow.

Referring now to FIGS. 1A and 1B, certain embodiments of the presentdisclosure provide systems and apparatus for producing rods 10comprising one, two or more components. In one example, such as a rodincluding segments A and B, the segments A and B may be of a commonlength (FIG. 1A) or differ in length (FIG. 1B). The segments may beconstructed from a common material or differ in composition.

Referring to FIG. 1C, the continuous rod 10 may comprise a repeatedpattern of segments (such as A, B, C, D or more) or a repeated patternof a single segment A (such as shown in FIG. 1C) and may furthercomprise spacings 14 provided between one more of the segments as partof the repeated pattern. The rod 10 may further include an elementinserted into each of the spaces 14 such as, by way of non-limitingexamples, tobacco, tobacco derivatives, a crushable flavor bead 16 or abed of particles such as particles of an activated carbon or otheradsorbent or other aerosol treating or flavoring particles.

Spacing drum embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to use forproducing multi-component rods, and may be used in any manufacturingoperations where a spacing drum may be helpful.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, an example embodiment of a machinesystem 20 may be configured to produce a continuous rod 10 which may beseverable into individual rods 24. The machine system 20 may comprise asegment feeding section 26 and a rod forming section 28.

The segment feeding section 26 may comprise a radial profile spacingdrum 30 according to an example embodiment with one or more radialprofile flights 32, a first source 34 of the segments A, a second source36 of the segments B and an endless feed belt 38. The endless feed belt38 may be directed about a roller 37 at a location adjacent radialprofile spacing drum 30. The endless feed belt 38 may receive theindividual segments A and B from the first and second sources 34 and 36,respectively, in an alternating relation so as to establish a first,feed procession 40 of filter segments A, B, which may move at the speedof feed belt 38 (“v₁”).

In some embodiments, the sources 34 and 36 of individual segments maycomprise hopper sections 200, 200′. The hopper sections 200, 200′ mayinclude a hopper 202, 202′, a plurality of knives 204, 204′ which maycooperate with a knife drum 206, 206′. The output of segments A,B fromthe hoppers 202, 202′, respectively, may be directed onto the feed belt38 by operation of metering wheels 208, 208′. The particulars of theconstruction and operation of the hopper sections 200, 200′ are familiarto those of ordinary skill in the art.

If it were desired to include additional segments (such as a segment C,D or more), then additional hopper sections 200″, 200′″ or more could bearranged in like manner to the above description. Likewise, it may be adesired to operate with only a single hopper section 200, in which case,all the segments may be the same (such as an A segment).

Referring back to the example embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, thephase of the output of segments A,B from the hoppers 202, 202′,respectively, may be adjusted to adjust their relative positions alongthe feed belt 38. For example, the phase relation may be selected toplace each component B closer to the leading component A that precedesit or instead place each component B closer to the trailing component Athat may be located behind it.

In some example embodiments, a vacuum plenum 143 may be disposed beneaththe endless feed belt 38 to help maintain the segments A, B at theirspaced locations along the endless feed belt 38. The endless feed belt38 may move the feed procession 40 toward the entrance end 39 of theradial profile spacing drum 30 at a suitable feed speed

In an example embodiment, as segments A and B pass through the spacingdrum 30, segments A, B may be continuously decelerated (or accelerated)to a speed v₂ of the rod forming section 28 and transformed into desiredsequence and the desired end-to-end relationship of the continuous rod10 (e.g., abutting or other desired relationship or spacing). In sodoing, the radial profile spacing drum 30 may discharge the individualsegments A, B at a velocity v₂ which may match that of the belt speed ofa garniture belt 42 (or any other type of belt) of the rod formingsection 28 (and may also match that of plug wrap 54 that may be drawn bythe garniture belt 42). Accordingly, the spacing drum 30 may establish asecond, output procession of segments 43 with a different spacingbetween segments, and/or different speed of the segments, compared tothe first procession of segments 40 at the entrance end 39.

In certain example embodiments, the speed v₁ of the first procession ofsegments 40 may be greater than the speed v₂ of the second procession ofsegments 43, wherein the spacing drum 30 may be configured to lower thespeed of the segments as the segments progress through the drum. It isto be realized that in other embodiments the relative speeds of firstand second procession of segments may differ from that of thenon-limiting example embodiment presented herein (for example, incertain embodiments the speeds v1 and v2 may be the same, and in certainembodiments v2 may greater than v1); and that the relative speeds, rodconstruction and other details of the example embodiment are chosen onlyfor purposes of facilitating an understanding of the teachings hereinand not as a limitation upon the applicability of those teachings toother embodiments.

In some embodiments, the radial profile spacing drum 30 may cooperatewith a bridge 45 that may be configured to provide support and groovedguidance for the segments A, B as they are moved linearly beyond theoperative end of the feed belt 38 and into the radial profile spacingdrum 30, whereupon a radial profile flight 32 may cut across empty spacebehind a segment and progress into contact with a trailing end portionof the segment to continuously push the segment toward the exit end 41of the radial profile spacing drum 30.

Referring now also to FIGS. 10A and 10B, in various embodiments, thebridge 45 may extend beneath radial profile spacing drum 30 and may beprovided with a groove 145 of sufficient depth to counteract anytendency a radial profile flight 32 to displace a component A,Blaterally of the intended linear path. In some embodiments, the groove145 may include a plurality of vacuum ports 147 that communicate with asource of vacuum through an internal passage 149 in the bridge 45. Theplacement of the vacuum ports 147 and the draw of vacuum may be arrangedto help maintain a desired, relative positioning (registration) of thecomponents A,B as they cross the bridge 45 or portions thereof.

The rod forming section 28 may comprise an endless tube belt 42(garniture belt), a garniture 44, a glue setting station 46 and a cutter48. The endless garniture belt 42 of the rod forming section 28 may beconfigured to draw a continuous ribbon of web 54 about a roller 56positioned adjacent the exit end 41 of radial profile spacing drum 30 sothat as segments A, B may be pushed out from exit end 41 of the spacingdrum 30 to form the second procession of segments 43, the procession 43may be positioned upon the continuous ribbon of web 54 and may be drawnwith it into and though the garniture 44, whereupon the web 54 may bewrapped about and securely glued about the procession 43 of segments A,B. In some embodiments, the rod forming section 28 may further comprisea suitable glue applicator 58 that may be operative at a locationupstream of the roller 56 to help maintain the relative placements ofthe segments A, B and a second, suitable glue applicator 60 which may beoperative at or about the garniture 44 to seal the seam of thecontinuous filter rod 10 produced by garniture 44. The freshly formed,continuous filter rod 10 may be drawn through a suitable glue settingstation 46 and then through a suitable cutter 48, where the continuousrod 10 may be repetitively severed into the desired multi orsingle-component rods 24.

For production of certain filter rods 24, the rod forming section 28 mayfurther comprise an insertion device 50 for inserting activated carbon,adsorbents, flavorants, beads or the like. Examples of such devices maybe found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,640 to Hall; U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,824 toAtwell et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,901 to Atwell et al.

Referring now to FIG. 4, in some example embodiments, the radial profilespacing drum 30 may comprise a radial profile flight 32, which at theexit end 41 of the spacing drum 30 may define a tangent T₁, by which atthe rotational speed of the drum 30, the flight 32 may impart at thedrum exit 41, a velocity v₂ to a filter segment (A or B). The radialprofile flight 32 may be defined by a radius R which may pass throughthe point of tangency 70 at the exit end 41 of the drum 30 and which maydescribe a radial profile arc 72 that may terminate at a location 74adjacent the entrance end 39 of the radial profile spacing drum 30. Theradius R may rotate about an arc center A-C. The direction of rotationof the example radial profile spacing drum 30 may be in the direction ofan arrow r in FIG. 4 (also shown in FIGS. 2 and 3).

In certain example embodiments, the radial profile spacing drum 30 mayinclude multiple radial profile flights 32, each defined by the sameradius R, but each rotating about a different arc center A-C. In certainexample embodiments, the arc centers A-C of the different radial profileflights 32 may be located in the same x location, but in a different ylocation (the descriptions in this paragraph assume a flat view of thedrum 30 as shown in FIG. 4, and that the page defines an x-direction inthe horizontal direction of the page, and a y-direction in the verticaldirection of the page). In certain example embodiments, one or moredifferent y locations of the arc centers A-C of different flights may beseparated from each other by the same distance in the y-direction. Incertain example embodiments, the y locations of the arc centers A-C ofall the different flights may be separated from each other by the samedistance in the y-direction. In certain example embodiments, one or moredifferent y locations of the arc centers A-C of different flights may beseparated from each other by different distances in the y-direction. Incertain example embodiments, the distance in the y-direction between thecenter of two different flights 32 (i.e., ignoring the thickness of theflights) at drum exit end 41 is the same than at drum entrance end 39.In certain example embodiments, the distance in the x-direction betweena flight 32 and the flight preceding it at entrance 39 is greater thanthe distance in the x-direction between said flight 32 and the flighttrailing it at exit 41.

In certain example embodiments, a radius R of a flight 32 may rotateabout an arc center (A-C) that may be offset from segment path 76(beneath the spacing drum 30) both in the sense of being to one side ofthe spacing drum 30 (and the segment path 76) and upstream of thespacing drum 30 in the sense of the movement of segments along thesegment path 76.

In an example embodiment, at the entrance end 39 of the spacing drum 30,segments A₁ and B₁ may be moving at a speed vi, which may, bynon-limiting example, greater than the exit speed v₂. As each of thesegments A₁ and B₁ enter the entrance end 39 of the spacing drum 30,they may tend to position themselves, upon their own inertia, within anaxial space 78 between an immediate radial flight 32 and a precedingflight 32′. The segment B₂ in FIG. 4 may be immediately upstream of thefirst segment A₁ and may be positioned as just described, wherein aclearance 80 may exist between a leading end portion 82 of the segmentB₂ and the preceding flight 32′. Upon entry into the entrance end 39 ofthe radial profile spacing drum 30, the immediate radial profile flight32 may contact the downstream end portion 84 of the segment B₂ to pushthe segment B₂ along the segment path 76 (guided by bridge 45 asdescribed above) to the exit end 41 of the spacing drum 30. In someexample embodiments, because the immediate flight 32 has a radialprofile as previously described, the segment B₂ may be in continuouscontact with the leading side 86 of the radial profile flight 32 as itprogresses from the entrance end 39 to the exit end 41 of spacing drum30, during which time the radial profile flight 32 may cause the segmentto continuously decelerate from the speed vi at the entrance end 39 tothe speed v₂ at the exit end 41.

In certain example embodiments, at the exit end 41 of the radial profilespacing drum 30, exiting segments (such as B₃ in FIG. 4) may bepositioned on a ribbon of web 54 in an abutting, end-to-end relation toan immediately preceding exiting segment (such as A₃ in FIG. 4), or inanother desired spacing (e.g., 1 mm. gap, 3 mm. gap, 5 mm. gap, 1 cm.gap, or other, etc.). In other words, example embodiments of spacingdrum 30 may help control the exiting speed v₂ of exiting segments,and/or may help control the exiting position of exiting segmentsrelative to other exiting segments. In certain example embodiments,where the y locations of the arc centers A-C of all the differentflights are separated from each other by the same distance in they-direction as described above, exiting segments may be separated fromeach other by approximately the same distance (or no distance). Incertain example embodiments, where one or more different y locations ofthe arc centers A-C of different flights may be separated from eachother by different distances in the y-direction as described above,exiting segments may be separated from each other by differentdistances.

In certain embodiments, a leading side 86 of the radial profile flight32 will generally maintain contact with trailing end portion 84 of thesegment B₂ during its transit across the spacing drum 30, preventing orminimizing registration issues that may occur with existing spacingdrums that have an abrupt transition in the pitch of the flights (e.g.,the disclosed arrangement prevents or minimizes movement along thesegment path 76 without the registering/controlling effect of positivecontact with the leading edge 86 of the radial profile flight 32).Impingement of segment B₂ upon other surfaces such as the trailingsurface 87 of the immediately preceding flight 32′ may also be reducedor prevented. In some example embodiments, accurate and consistentplacing of exiting segments at the exit 41 of the spacing drum 30 may beenhanced.

A Method of Determining the Radius R and the Radial Profile Flight

The following teachings provide an example of a geometricaldetermination of the aforementioned radius R and how it may be appliedto establish an array of radial profile flights 32 on a radial profilespacing drum 30 according to an example embodiment.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the determination may start with generation ofa planar geometrical representation 30′ (“flat view”) of the outerperiphery of a spacing drum 30 according to an example embodiment. Theplanar drum representation 30′ may have an elongate rectangular formwhose longer edges 39′, 41′ may correspond with the entrance and exitends 39, 41, respectively, of the radial profile spacing drum 30.Adjacent the exit end 41′, a representation of repeated pattern ofsegments 43′ is shown, which in this example may be a set of foursegments (A, B, A, B). In this example, the segments A, B may be ofequal length and abutting, but in other embodiments, the segments maydiffer in length and/or may differ in numbers, some or all may be spacedapart by a plurality of spacings 14 or some or all may be abutting withessentially no spacing between each other and/or some or all maycomprise different material such as a filter material and or a tobaccomaterial.

Where the most upstream segment (that being segment B to the left inFIG. 5) exits the planar drum representation 30′, a tangent T₁′ may bedrawn, based on the same factors used in determining tangent T₁described with reference to FIG. 4, namely the rotational speed of thedrum 30 and the desired exit speed v₂. This straight line T₁′ may bealso geometrically representative of a hypothetical, straight-lined,exit flight which at the rotational speed of the drum 30 would move asegment out from the exit 41′ of the drum 30′ at the desired exit speedv₂ (of the garniture belt 42). At the entrance end 39′, another inclinedline x′ may be drawn whose inclination may be such that it represents ahypothetical, straight-lined, entrance flight, which would at therotational speed of the drum 30 enable the drum 30′ to receive at theentrance end 39′ a segment at entrance speed v₁. In certain exampleembodiments, the procession 40 of segments (A, B) approaching theentrance end 39′ of the spacing drum 30′ may have a greater speed andspacing than that that of the procession 43′ at the exit 41′.Accordingly, the line x′ may be less inclined relative to the segmentpath 76′ than the tangent line T₁′ and may be representative of ahypothetical, straight-lined, entrance flight having a pitch greaterthan the pitch of the hypothetical straight-lined, exit flight that maybe represented by the straight line T₁′.

In some example embodiments, a point of intersection y′ between thehypothetical, straight-line, exit flight T₁′ and the hypothetical,straight-line, entrance flight x′ may be arranged such that a greaterportion of the axial extent of the planar drum form 30′ (in thedirectional sense of the segment path 76′) may be allocated to thehypothetical, straight-line, entrance flight x′ and a lesser portion tothe hypothetical, straight-line, exit flight T₁′. For example, in anon-limiting example embodiment, one-third of the axial extent may belongitudinally allocated to the hypothetical, straight-line, entranceflight and two-thirds of the axial extent may be longitudinallyallocated to the hypothetical, straight-line, entrance flight x′. Suchan allocation may be represented by a vertical line z in FIG. 5 and maydiffer from one embodiment to another.

Upon resolving a point of intersection y′ between the hypothetical,straight-line, exit flight and the hypothetical, straight-line, entranceflight x′, the smaller angle between the two at the intersection y′ maybe bisected to resolve a first centering line C-L₁, which typically willproject to one-side and upstream in the sense of the segment path 76′. Asecond centering line C-L₂ may be projected orthogonally from thehypothetical, straight-line, entrance flight T₁′ at the location wherethe latter intersects the exit end 41′of the planar spacing drum 30′.Typically, the second centering line C-L₂ may project to one side andupstream of the segment path 76 and intersect the first centering lineC-L₁, which point of intersection may be used as an arc center A-C′ forresolving the radius R of the radial profiled flight 32′ in an exampleembodiment.

Referring now also to FIG. 6, the radius R of the radial profiled flight32 may be the distance between the previously established arc centerA-C′ and the location where the hypothetical, straight-line, exit flightT₁′ intersects the exit end 41′of the spacing drum 30′. The planarlayout of the first radial profiled flight 32′ may be then projected byrotating the radius R about the arc center A-C′ from the exit end 41′ tothe entrance end 39′ of the spacing drum 30′. In some embodiments, suchprojection may extend between locations at or adjacent the exit end 41′and at or adjacent to the entrance end 39′ of the spacing drum 30′.Accordingly, the projection may extend fully across the spacing drum orterminate short of the exit end 41′ and/or the entrance end 39′.

In example embodiments, the previously described steps may then berepeated to establish a planar layout of all the radial profiled flights32′, 32″, 32′″, 32″″, etc. In doing so, a row of arc centers A-C′, A-C″,A-C′″, A-C″″, etc. may be established in an offset relation to thesegment path 76′ (to one side and upstream thereof). The planarrepresentation of the desired array of profiled flights 32′, 32″, 32′″,32″″, etc. may then be converted into a three dimensional layout, whichin effect, may be the result of the planar representation of the spacingdrum 30′ being rolled into the cylindrical form of the periphery of theactual spacing drum 30.

Once a planar representation of the desired array of radial profiledflights 32′ is established, the array may be analytically orexperimentally checked at the exit end 41′ for adequate spacing betweenthe flights 32′ to assure that each segment may exit the spacing drum30′ without interference from a proceeding flight 32′, which mightotherwise cause the segment to cant or lose registered alignment andplacement.

Referring now also to FIG. 7, in an example embodiment where a segment Amay be significantly longer than a segment B, a radial profile flight32L, which may move the longer segment A, may be terminated short of thevery edge of the exit end 41 of the radial profile spacing drum 30 toprovide requisite clearance for the shorter segment B as it approachesthe exit end 41 while the shorter segment B is being moved by a radialprofile flight 32S. In doing so, the longer segment may still exit thedrum 30 at the desired speed v₂ despite the shortening of the flight 32Lwhich may be pushing it, because a significant portion of the longersegment A may come into contact with a moving plug wrap 54, which actionassures withdrawal of the longer segment A from the exit end 41 of thespacing drum 30′ at the desired speed v₂ and relative position. In otherexample embodiments, the distances between flights may be different asshown in FIG. 7 (e.g., to accommodate different segment sizes ordifferent desired resulting spacing between segments or other purposes),but instead all the flights will continue all the way to the edge of theexit end 41 (such as shown FIGS. 4 and 8). In yet other exampleembodiments, all flights 32L and flights 32S may terminate short of theexit end 41 by equal or differing amounts.

Once a planar representation of the desired array of radial profiledflights 32′ is established, the array may also be analytically orexperimentally checked for adequate spacing between the flights 32′ atthe drum entrance 39′ to assure that each segment (A, B) may enter drum30′ without interference from a preceding flight 32′ (that its leadingedge portion 82 does not impinge upon the preceding flight 32′ uponentry into the spacing drum 30). Detection and/or prediction ofinterference at the entrance end 39 of the spacing drum 30 may beaddressed by decreasing or increasing the radius R of each radialprofile flight 32, while relocating the respective arc center A-C alongthe second centering line C-L₂ closer or farther to where thehypothetical, straight-line, exit flight (arc tangent) intersects exitend 41′ of the spacing drum 30′. Changes in R, for example, will changethe pitch at the entrance end 39′ and increase or decrease the spacing78 (FIG. 4) between flights (in the direction of the segment path 76′)at the entrance end 39′ of the planar spacing drum 30′.

In an example embodiment, an arcuate portion of the radial profileflight 32 adjacent the entrance end 39 of the spacing drum 30 may becircumferentially retracted (shifted) away from where a projection ofthe arc tangent T₁ (from the exit end 41) would cross the entrance end39 of the spacing drum 30. A reduction in the radius R may increase thisshift and may increase the spacing 78 between flights (in the directionof the segment path 76′), whereas an increase in the radius R maydecrease the spacing 78 between flights (in the direction of the segmentpath 76′).

Referring now to FIG. 8, the aforementioned geometrical relationshipsmay be used to generate the depicted planar radial flight drum 30 acomprising eight radial profile flights 32 a, and entrance end 39 a andan exit end 41 a.

Referring now to FIG. 9, example embodiments may be used to construct acontinuous rod 10 comprising a plurality of 2-up filter segments 110, aspacing 112 between each adjacent pair of 2-up filter segments 110 and afrangible bead 114 disposed in each spacing 112. The spacing 112 may bein the range of about 1 mm to about 3 mm in an example embodiment (butany spacing may be used). By way of non-limiting example, the bead maybe a frangible flavor bead, which may be placed within each of thespacing 112 using a suitable bead feeder 50 operative between the exit41 of the radial profile spacing drum 30 and the garniture 62 aspreviously described with reference to FIG. 3.

Still referring to FIG. 9 and to FIG. 3, the cutter 48 may be timed torepetitively produce a 6-up filter rod 116 from the continuous rod 10.In cigarette making operations, each 6-up filter rod 116 may be fed to atipping machine, wherein upon a series of drums, each of the 6-up filterrod 116 may be cut into three 2-up filter constructions 118 a-c, graded(302), aligned (304) and then interposed between spaced apart pairs oftobacco rods 119 a,b (306), which may then be closed upon the respective2-up filter construction, wrapped centrally with a tipping paper 120 andthen severed centrally to produce two complete cigarettes 122 a,b (308).In such operations, utilization of the disclosed radial profile spacingdrum 30 may provide a capacity to produce the rod 112 with enhancedconsistency and efficiency.

The above teachings describe embodiments wherein the segment-feed speed(v₁) at the entrance end 39 of the radial profile spacing drum 30 isgreater than the segment-exit speed (v₂) at the exit end 41 of theradial profile spacing drum 30. However, the teachings herein may beapplied to embodiments wherein the segment-feed speed (v₁) is equal toor lesser than the segment-exit speed (v₂) at the exit end 41 of theradial profile spacing drum 30.

It is also envisioned that the form of the radial profile flight 32 maybe defined by a sweep of a radius R from the point of tangency 70adjacent the exit end 41 of the drum 30 to a location 74 adjacent theentrance end 39 of the radial profile spacing drum 30 as previouslydescribed, but which instead of remaining constant throughout the sweep,the radius R may be increased or decreased in length as it progressesthrough the sweep from the point of tangency 70 at the exit end 41 ofthe drum 30 to a location 74 adjacent the entrance end 39 of the radialprofile spacing drum 30. In some embodiments, the increase and/ordecrease the length of R may be continuous. In various embodiments, thechange in the length of R could be undertaken in the opposite direction,and a given spacing drum 30 may include a complete set of flightsconstructed in this manner, or a set of flights constructed in thismanner and a set of flights constructed in the manner previouslydescribed.

Non-exclusive example embodiments of apparatus and methods are furtherpresented in the following enumerated paragraphs. It is within the scopeof the present disclosure that an individual step of a method recitedherein, including in the following enumerated paragraphs, mayadditionally or alternatively be referred to as a “step for” performingthe recited action.

PCT 1. A spacing drum comprising: a segment receiving drum sectioncapable of receiving a predetermined number of segments per revolutionof the drum from a procession of segments approaching the segmentreceiving drum section at a segment-feed spacing and a segment-feedspeed; a segment releasing drum section capable of releasing thepredetermined number of segments at a segment-release spacing and asegment-release speed, wherein the segment-release spacing is differentfrom the segment-feed spacing, the segment-release speed is differentfrom the segment-feed speed, or both the segment-release spacing isdifferent from the segment-feed spacing and the segment-release speed isdifferent from the segment-feed speed; and a radial profile flightcomprising a continuous arc segment extending across at least portionsof the segment receiving drum section and the segment releasing drumsection, the continuous arc segment arranged to transition a segment ofthe predetermined number of segments from the segment-feed spacing andthe segment-feed speed to the segment-release spacing and thesegment-release speed, by pushing the segment as the segment travelsfrom the segment receiving drum section to the segment releasing drumsection.

PCT 2. The spacing drum of PCT 1, wherein the continuous arc segment ofthe radial profile flight is defined by an offset arc center.

PCT 3. The spacing drum of PCT 2, wherein an arc tangent of a releasingportion of the arc segment adjacent an exit edge of the drum imparts asegment speed essentially equal to the predetermined speed.

PCT 4. The spacing drum of PCT 3, wherein a receiving arc portion of thearc segment adjacent an entrance edge of the drum is retracted arcuatelyaway from the arc tangent and/or wherein the single arc radius isselected such that the receiving arc portion of the arc segment issufficiently retracted arcuately away from the arc tangent to receivethe procession of segments approaching the segment receiving drumsection at the segment-feed spacing and the segment-feed speed.

PCT 5. The spacing drum of PCT 4, wherein the receiving arc portioncircumferentially leads the releasing arc portion and the arc segment isconcave in a direction opposite of a rotational direction of the spacingdrum.

PCT 6. The spacing drum of any of PCT 1-5, wherein the radial profileflight includes first and second radial profile flights defined by thesingle arc radius and a first offset arc center and a second offset arccenter, respectively, the second arc center being spaced from the firstarc center by a distance such that adjacent the exit edge of the spacingdrum, the first and second radial profile flights are sufficientlyspaced apart to release the respective segment from between the firstand second radial profile flights with clearance between the secondradial profile flight and a leading end portion of the segment.

PCT 7. A method of changing pitch along a spacing drum progressively,the method comprising: representing a peripheral surface of a spacingdrum with a planar drum view, the spacing drum and the planar drum viewhaving an entrance edge at which a procession of segments enter thespacing drum at a segment-feed rate and a segment-feed spacing and anexit edge at which the procession of segments leave the spacing drum ata segment-release speed and with a segment-release spacing; definingadjacent the entrance edge a first straight line corresponding to afirst hypothetical flight, the first hypothetical flight defining afirst pitch; defining adjacent the exit edge a second straight linecorresponding to a second hypothetical flight, the second hypotheticalflight defining a second pitch; resolving an arc-center by: resolving anangle of intersection between the first straight line and the secondstraight line; bisecting the resolved angle of intersection to project afirst centering line; projecting a second centering line perpendicularto the second straight line from where the second straight lineintersects the exit edge of the drum; whereby the arc center is resolvedby an intersection of the first and second centering lines; projectingan arc across the planar drum view from the resolved arc center whileusing as a radius a distance between the resolved arc center and thelocation where the second straight line intersects the exit edge of thedrum; forming a radial profile flight upon the drum peripheral surfacecorresponding to the arc projected across the planar drum view.

PCT 8. The method of PCT 7 further comprising adjusting the radius andrelocating the arc center along the second centering line to facilitatereceiving the procession of segments at the entrance edge of the drum.

PCT 9. The method of PCT 7 or 8 further comprising: establishing adesired spacing between a first radial profile flight and a secondradial profile flight at the exit edge of the spacing drum byterminating one of the first radial profile flight and the second radialprofile flight short of the exit edge of the drum.

PCT 10. The method of any of PCT 7, 8 or 9 further comprising offsettingarc centers of a plurality of flights from the planar drum form in a rowparallel to at least one of the receiving edge and the exit edge.

PCT 11. The method of PCT 10 further comprising establishing adjacentthe entrance edge of the drum a clearance between the second radialprofile flight and the leading end portion of the segment by changingthe radius and relocating the arc center along the second centeringline.

PCT 12. A spacing drum comprising a radial profile flight which changespitch progressively and is constructed in accordance with any of themethods of PCT 7-11.

PCT 13. A spacing drum comprising: a drum body having asegment-receiving end and a segment-releasing end; and a radial profileflight disposed along the drum body, the radial profile flight definedby a radius and a first offset arc center such that adjacent thesegment-releasing end of the drum, a releasing arcuate portion of theradial profile flight is configured to push a segment along a segmentpath at a desired segment-exit speed, the radial profile flightincluding a second arcuate portion adjacent the segment-receiving end ofthe drum body, the second arcuate portion being configured to push thesegment at a segment-receiving speed different from the segment-exitspeed; the radial profile flight including an arcuate intermediateportion extending continuously between first and second arcuateportions.

PCT 15. A method of establishing an exit speed and an exit spacingbetween members of a procession of units, comprising: establishing aprocession of units moving at an entrance speed and having an entrancespacing between the units; and converting the entrance spacing to theexit spacing and/or the entrance speed to the exit speed by passing theprocession of units through a spacing drum while contacting units of theprocession with radial profile flights of the spacing drum, the radialprofile flights being arcuately configured such that continuous contactbetween a radial profile flight of the radial profile flights and arespective unit is generally maintained during the conversion, wherebythe radial profile flights change pitch continuously from an entranceedge of the drum to an exit edge of the drum; whereby the spacing ischanged from the entrance spacing to the exit spacing and/or the speedis changed from the entrance speed to the exit speed.

While the present invention has been described and illustrated byreference to particular embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the artwill appreciate that the invention lends itself to variations notnecessarily illustrated herein. For this reason, then, reference shouldbe made solely to the appended claims for purposes of determining thetrue scope of the present invention.

1. A spacing drum comprising: a segment receiving drum sectionconfigured to receive a number of segments per revolution of the spacingdrum from a procession of segments approaching the segment receivingdrum section at a segment-feed spacing and a segment-feed speed; asegment releasing drum section configured to release the number ofsegments at a segment-release spacing and a segment-release speed,wherein the segment-release spacing is different from the segment-feedspacing, the segment-release speed is different from the segment-feedspeed, or both the segment-release spacing is different from thesegment-feed spacing and the segment-release speed is different from thesegment-feed speed; and a radial profile flight comprising a continuousarc segment defined by an offset arc center and extending across atleast portions of the segment receiving drum section and the segmentreleasing drum section, the continuous arc segment configured totransition a segment of the number of segments from the segment-feedspacing and the segment-feed speed to the segment-release spacing andthe segment-release speed, by pushing the segment as the segment travelsfrom the segment receiving drum section to the segment releasing drumsection.
 2. (canceled)
 3. The spacing drum of claim 1, wherein thecontinuous arc segment of the radial profile flight is further definedby a constant radius.
 4. The spacing drum of claim 1, wherein thecontinuous arc segment of the radial profile flight is further definedby a non-constant radius that decreases or increases as the continuousarc segment extends across the at least portions of the segmentreceiving drum section and the segment releasing drum section.
 5. Thespacing drum of claim 1, wherein a tangent of a releasing portion of thecontinuous arc segment adjacent an exit edge of the spacing drum impartsa segment speed essentially equal to the segment-release speed.
 6. Thespacing drum of claim 5, wherein a receiving arc portion of thecontinuous arc segment adjacent an entrance edge of the spacing drum isretracted arcuately away from the tangent.
 7. The spacing drum of claim1, wherein the segment-feed speed is greater than the segment-releasespeed, the segment-feed spacing is greater than the segment-releasespacing, or both the segment-feed speed is greater than thesegment-release speed and the segment-feed spacing is greater than thesegment-release spacing.
 8. The spacing drum of claim 1, wherein thecontinuous arc segment is concave in a direction opposite of arotational direction of the spacing drum.
 9. The spacing drum of claim3, wherein the spacing drum includes a second radial profile flightcomprising a second continuous arc segment defined by a second offsetarc center and the constant radius, the offset arc center and the secondoffset arc center being spaced apart.
 10. A method of changing pitchalong a spacing drum progressively, the method comprising: representinga peripheral surface of a spacing drum with a planar drum view, thespacing drum and the planar drum view having an entrance edge at which aprocession of segments enter the spacing drum at a segment-feed speedand a segment-feed spacing and an exit edge at which the procession ofsegments leave the spacing drum at a segment-release speed and with asegment-release spacing; defining, adjacent the entrance edge, a firststraight line corresponding to a first hypothetical flight, the firsthypothetical flight defining a first pitch; defining, adjacent the exitedge, a second straight line corresponding to a second hypotheticalflight, the second hypothetical flight defining a second pitch;resolving an arc center by: resolving an angle of intersection betweenthe first straight line and the second straight line; bisecting theresolved angle of intersection to project a first centering line; andprojecting a second centering line perpendicular to the second straightline from a location where the second straight line intersects the exitedge of the spacing drum; whereby the arc center is resolved by anintersection of the first and second centering lines; projecting an arcacross the planar drum view from the resolved arc center while using asa radius a distance between the resolved arc center and the locationwhere the second straight line intersects the exit edge of the spacingdrum; and forming a first radial profile flight upon the spacing drumperipheral surface corresponding to the arc projected across the planardrum view.
 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: adjusting theradius and relocating the arc center along the second centering line tofacilitate receipt of a segment of the procession of segments at theentrance edge of the spacing drum.
 12. The method of claim 10, furthercomprising: forming a second radial profile flight while establishing adesired spacing between the first radial profile flight and the secondradial profile flight.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the desiredspacing is selected adjacent the exit edge of the spacing drum such thata segment being moved by the first radial profile flight exits from thespacing drum with clearance between the second radial profile flight anda leading end portion of the segment.
 14. The method of claim 13,wherein the spacing drum comprises a number of radial profile flights,and wherein the method further comprises: adjusting the desired spacingby achanging the number of radial profile flights and/or by, (ii)terminating at least one of the radial profile flights short of the exitedge of the spacing drum, or both (i) and (ii).
 15. The method of claim12 further comprising: establishing adjacent the entrance edge of thespacing drum a clearance between the second radial profile flight and aleading end portion of a segment by changing the radius and relocatingthe arc center along the second centering line.
 16. The method of claim12 wherein arc centers of the radial profile flights are offset in theplanar drum view and arranged in a line parallel to a receiving edge.17. The method of claim 10, wherein the segment-feed speed is greaterthan the segment-release speed, the segment-feed spacing is greater thanthe segment-release spacing, or both the segment-feed speed is greaterthan the segment-release speed and the segment-feed spacing is greaterthan the segment-release spacing.
 18. A spacing drum comprising a radialprofile flight constructed in accordance with the method of claim 10.19. A spacing drum comprising: a drum body having a segment-receivingend and a segment-releasing end; and a first radial profile flightdisposed along the drum body, the first radial profile flight defined bya radius and a first offset arc center such that adjacent thesegment-releasing end of the spacing drum, a releasing arcuate portionof the first radial profile flight is configured to push a segment alonga segment path at a desired segment-exit speed, the first radial profileflight including a second arcuate portion adjacent the segment-receivingend of the drum body, the second arcuate portion being configured topush the segment at a segment-receiving speed different from the desiredsegment-exit speed; the first radial profile flight including an arcuateintermediate portion extending continuously between the releasingarcuate portion and the second arcuate portion.
 20. (canceled)
 21. Thespacing drum of claim 19, wherein the releasing arcuate portion, thesecond arcuate portion and the arcuate intermediate portion arecontinuous and defined by the first offset arc center and the radius.22. The spacing drum of claim 21 further comprising: a second radialprofile flight defined by the radius and a second offset arc centerspaced apart from the first offset arc center.
 23. The spacing drum ofclaim 22, wherein the second offset arc center is spaced from the firstoffset arc center by a distance such that the releasing arcuate portionof the first radial profile flight and a releasing arcuate portion ofthe second radial profile flight are sufficiently spaced apart adjacentthe segment-releasing end of the spacing drum to release a segment frombetween the first and second radial profile flights with clearancebetween the second radial profile flight and a leading end portion ofthe segment while contacting the segment with the releasing arcuateportion of the first radial profile flight.
 24. The spacing drum ofclaim 21, wherein the first and second offset arc centers are locatedrelative to a planar, projected drum view that corresponds with aperiphery of the drum body, the first and second offset arc centersbeing in a line parallel to an entrance end of the planar, projecteddrum view and offset orthogonally from an axis of symmetry of theplanar, projected drum view.
 25. A method of establishing an exit speedand an exit spacing between members of a procession of units,comprising: establishing a procession of units moving at an entrancespeed and having an entrance spacing between units of the procession ofunits; and converting (i) the entrance spacing to an exit spacing, (ii)the entrance speed to an exit speed, or both (i) and (ii), by passingthe procession of units through a spacing drum while contacting units ofthe procession of units with radial profile flights of the spacing drum,at least one of the radial profile flights being defined by an offsetarc center and a radius, the radial profile flights being arcuatelyconfigured such that continuous contact between a radial profile flightof the radial profile flights and a respective unit is generallymaintained during the conversion, whereby the radial profile flightschange pitch continuously from an entrance edge of the spacing drum toan exit edge of the spacing drum.
 26. The spacing drum of claim 19,wherein the releasing arcuate portion, the second arcuate portion andthe arcuate intermediate portion are continuous and the radius is anon-constant radius.